Fire protective means for safes, cabinets, etc.



June 12, 1945. J. D. BRUSH FIRE PROTECTIVE MEANS FOR SAFES, CABINETS, ETC

Filed Jan. 20, 1944 INVENTOR,

Jar/(v l7. Bkusrr Patented June 12, 1945 1 UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICE FIRE PROTECTIVE MEANS FOR SAFES, CABINETS, ETC.

4 Claims.

Much of the fire protection of the contents in a safe is provided by the latest moisture which is given off by the insulation sealed into the wall of the safe when the outside thereof is excessively heated by a fire. This moisture keeps the temperature of the interior of the safe below the charring point of paper.

When the moisture content of the insulation of a safe has evaporated, it has been found that the average safe has lost 40% of its fire protective power. To compensate for the loss, my present invention is adapted to locate a source of moisture in the interior of a safe in a sealed form in such a manner that when the outside of the safe is subjected to an abnormally high temperature of a fire, moisture is released on the inside of the safe to thus prevent the temperature from 'risfingto the charring point of paper within the sa e.

This function of my invention will become more readily apparent from the detailed description thereof which follows, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which Figure l is a perspective view partly broken away of one of the protective units embodying my invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section thereof taken on the line 2-2 in Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view of a safe or cabinet with one of the protective units located therein as it will appear when the heat reducing 7 agent thereof is active.

Paper chars at approximately 400 degrees Fahrenheit and it is therefore necessary for the protection of papers in a safe that the moisture -is released in the interior thereof before the temperature reaches this point.

In one form of my invention this result is obtained by means of a unit which is adapted to be placed into the interior of a safe so that it will release moisture at a predetermined temperature. This unit, as illustrated in the drawing, comprises asuitable cardboard container made up of a body I which, for shipment, is adapted to be closed by the removable bottom 2. Cast into the container body is a liquid absorbing member 3 comprising a mixture made up of 13 parts of water and parts of sodium sulfate. This mixture, after hardening, retains much of its water content and to prevent its evaporation from the container a layer 4 of paramn Or other heat sensitive or thermo responsive sealing material is placed over it. The sealing surface thus remains intact unti1 it is subjected to a temperature of approximately 125 degrees Fahrenheit or more. For the protection of the contents of a safe the bottom 6 of the protective unit is removed and the box supported by its open bottom in close proximity to the papers that are to be especially protected against charring within the safe. In this way the box body rests on its open edge with the solidified sodium sulfate 'held elevated above the cut out portions 5, 5 in the sides and ends of the box body.

The protective function of the unit is as follows:

When the temperature rises within the safe to substantially degrees Fahrenheit the sealin surface begins to soften and melt. This releases the sodium sulfate cake held sealed against the closed top portion of the box body and allows same to drop tothe floor or other supporting surface of the unit. Moisture from the freed sodium sulfate cake is thus allowed to escape from within the box bod; thru the cut away portions 5 of the sides and-ends to enter the interior of the safel in the safe or cabinet from rising to the charrin point and thus protects the contents while the outside of the safe or cabinet is exposed to fire.

I claim:

1. Fire preventive means for safes, cabinets etc., comprising a container, an absorbent member in said container, a heat reducing agent held suspended in said absorbent member, and thermoresponsive means for bodily releasing said absorbent member from said container.

2. Fire preventive means for safes, cabinets etc., comprising a noninflammable liquid absorbing member, a heat reducing agent held suspended in said absorbing member, and thermoresponsive means supporting and. partially encasing said absorbing member and adapted to release said noninflammable liquid absorbing member from its support and said heat reducing agent from said absorbing member.

3. Fire preventive means for safes, cabinets etc., comprising a container, a liquid absorbing member in said container, a heat reducing agent held suspended in said liquid absorbing member, thermo-responsive means sealing said liquid absorbing member into said container and said heat reducing agent into said liquid absorbing member.

4. Fire preventive means for safes, cabinets etc., comprising a container having a closed top, a partially cutaway wall surrounding the top, and an open bottom, a liquid absorbing member, and thermo-responsive means sealing said liquid absorbing member into the top portion of said container above the cutaway portion of the wall thereof.

JOHN D. BRUSH.

This moisture keeps the temperature with- 

